Generally, this prayer is divided into three parts. In the first part, the soul greets the Mother of God, invoking her mercy. In the second, the soul repeats the greeting and, in the name of all people, calls to holy Mary, whom we beg to look upon us with eyes of mercy and to love us with her son, Jesus. In the third, the soul proclaims the greatest and most fundamental title (epithet) of its intercessor-that is, Mother of God.

Hail, holy Queen, mother of mercy,
our life, our sweetness, and our hope.
To you do we cry,
poor, banished children of Eve.
To you do we send up our sighs,
mourning and weeping in this valley of tears.
Turn then, most gracious advocate,
your eyes of mercy toward us,
and after this exile
show unto us the blessed fruit of your womb, Jesus.
O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary.

V. Pray for us, O holy Mother of God.R.That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray.

Almighty and everlasting God, by the cooper­ation of the Holy Spirit you prepared the body and soul of Mary, glorious Virgin and Mother, to become the worthy habitation of your Son; grant that by her gracious intercession, in whose commemora­tion we rejoice, we may be de­livered from present evils and from everlasting death. Through the same Christ our Lord. R. Amen.